Big Daddy and Me Plus 3

The Last Days of Summer

2010-09-30T14:37:00.011-05:00

Oh how I love summer time! Our water double from swimming and playing in the sprinkler nearly every day, we go through sunscreen like it's going out of style, and we drink capri suns by the truck load, but it's summer time! There's just nothing like summer, especially when you're a kid. It's such a carefree time of year. I'm much more free to let the kids do just about anything in the backyard because I accept that they will inevitably be filthy at the end of the day anyway. So, we dig in the dirt, we walk until we are sweaty and stinky, we eat on the patio, then we end the day with long bubble baths to get everyone clean.

This summer has been particularly fun because for the first time in a while, I have had all 3 kids able to walk around and play without having to worry too much. Last summer, Ayda had just turned 1 and couldn't really play outside without my constant supervision. This year, since she is 2, I have been able to relax more. I can actual read a book or surf the web while the kids all play and entertain themselves. But alas, we must get back to school work, and summer must come to an end. I thought I would take a look back at all the fun things we did this summer.

Our summer began this year with the purchase of a slip-n-slide. It was the first one we had ever bought, and although it didn't make it all the way through the season, it was the best $9 I ever spent. Look at the fun we had!

So, we have warm weather, water, ....now what else do we need? Ice cream! We love having Lic's within walking distance from our house! As an added bonus, the ice cream was free since my kids got coupons from the library during the summer reading program! Yea!

This year, we decided to get a zoo membership for the first time. We wore that out too! The kids and I went to the zoo sometimes 3 times a week! They never got tired of seeing the animals, and I loved how well they slept after all that walking! Here they are with daddy right under the jaquar. Very neat!

One of their favorite places to go at the zoo is to see the prairie dogs. They love crawling through the tunnels and popping up inside the prairie dog home. It's so cute!

We took a break from visiting the zoo animals to pay a visit to the animals at the ol' county fair. Let me just state for the record that I don't particularly like the county fair. It's usually hot, it smells, and the animals are just gross. My kids, however, love it. Needless to say, we usually take them. While no one would actually touched the animals, Makenna loved to have her picture taken with them (well, at a safe distance from them).

Since Ed was on vacation the first week of August, we decided to take a trip to Indy to visit his parents. Since we became foster parents, we got a free family membership to the children's museum there. We were thrilled! It took us hours to see everything and I think we even missed part of it. It was amazing! In this picture, the kids were on the human kaleidoscope. They were slowly moving around in a circle while looking at TONS of beautiful colored glass.

Back at home, life with our new little puppy was getting a little crazy. The kids who once thought Mace was just so cute were learning that, like most puppies, she is also rotten. Wyatt and Makenna were playing in their sand table when Maci jumped up and started digging and throwing sand all over the place. Makenna was horrified that Maci would actually destroy her castle!

Finally, with just a few more weeks of summer to "hang" around and be free...

We decided to go to the zoo for a celebrity sighting--Dora the Explorer! Two of the three kids were excited to see her. Wyatt was behind a bush scared for his life. Cute kid. Hehe

We have had one of the best summers in years and I hate to see it end, but I am anxious to see what this school year will hold for us. Makenna is learning to read, Wyatt is learning to write letters and numbers, and Ayda is just being the little princess she is. Life is going by quickly! I am so thankful for my husband who works so hard so that I can be home to share these moments with my kids. It just doesn't get any better than this!

Book Review--No Girls Allowed

2010-09-30T11:10:00.002-05:00

I recently received the book No Girls Allowed: Devotions for Boys from Tyndale for review. I think the book would be very appealing for young boys. I believe it is aimed at boys over the age of 6, but I think it's even appropriate for younger boys. My son is 4 and he can relate to the characters such as Batman and Spiderman and the choices they make. I think the authors have done a great job of understanding the characters young boys like to read about. Most people wouldn't think to ask "What would spiderman do" and then compare that to "What would Jesus do?" What a way to grab boys' attention! The devotional also has occassional games, word puzzles, and word searches for older boys. I highly recommend this book to anyone who has boys ages 5-8 years old!

Our Newest Addition

2010-09-22T13:00:00.001-05:00

Well, we did what we said we would never do again....we got a puppy. After all the trouble we had with our last dog and all of his health problems, we swore we would never get another dog. I had actually grown to like my house free of dog hair, dog toys, muddy footprints, and all the other messes that go along with having a dog. My kids had come to like not having a dog waking them up from naps too early, getting them soaked after a bath, and pooping in the yard they play in. Life was good. Then, we met this little gal and just couldn't say no.

Meet Maci. Maci is the most loving, loyal dog I have ever known. She is adorable (obviously) and she has given me a reason to get out and walk every day. Our hope is that as she grows up, she will be a great guard dog for our kids. Now, I've read all those Carl books, and trust me when I say that I realize she can't actually babysit for us. What she can do, though, is be my eyes and ears in the house or in the backyard when I am busy with something else. When I run in the house to grab drinks for the kids, I know that she will at the very least bark if someone comes to our backyard. So, her being here is not just to raise the cute quotient of the house...she'll serve a purpose too.

We did research on many different breeds of dogs before welcoming Maci into our family. We considered a german sheperd for their intelligence, a boxer for their protectiveness, and just plain ol' mutts because they are usually some of the best dogs. We decided, though, that a lab would just fit really well with three wild, crazy, obnoxious....I mean...angelic kids. :) We were right about that. Maci is playful and yet gentle and is a perfect match for our kids.

Maci may not have been the best choice, however, for a mom who likes things taken care of and not ever damaged in any way. I'm not OCD about cleaning or anything--anyone who comes to my house can attest to that. I accept the fact that we have 3 kids, so there will be clutter. I'm ok with that. I just like to keep MY things as they are intended to be. When I read a book, I like to hold it open just enough to read it; there's no need to bend it backwards and inside out to see inside! Books certainly should never be chewed on! I like to keep my kids' toys in good condition and with all of the parts together (maybe not as much for them, but so that I can resell them later). I just don't like things torn up and so far, God has given me kids who are just like me. The dog, however, is not mine. Maci has a mind of her own and I think the only thing that runs through that little mind of hers is "What can I chew on now?"

After a few days of having her, I went to the library and got the book "Marley and Me." I had seen the movie years ago, but never read the book. The actual thought that went through my head went like this: "It will be funny to read about another lab. Since we have a lab now and know that they can sure get into trouble, we will get even a bigger kick out of hearing tales of a really BAD lab." I honestly thought that. A few days later, I stopped half-way through the book and returned it. I didn't need to read any more about that "bad dog"--I was living with her!

In just the few weeks we have had her, Maci has walked past walls and tried to eat them, torn up at least 2 pieces of my carpet, dug no less than 5 holes in our yard, eaten more marker/pen lids than I can count, has done horrible things to my daughters' baby dolls, and has bitten nearly everyone in the house (although playfully). Anything she can reach, and somethings she can't, she will try to chew up. I'm amazed that she never tires of the same ol' thing. She's a mess, and yet we all love her. We may be in for the ride of our lives with this girl, but so far we're enjoying it. Just be warned that if you come to my house to visit, you will likely be greeted by a cute little face, a lick on your feet, and a wack on your leg (by her tail). If you sit, she will be right on your lap--even if she is bigger than you. Spend a little while with her, though, and you'll see why we've kept her. You can't help but to love little Maci!

Book Review and GIVEAWAY--Hands on Bible

2010-07-29T15:54:00.003-05:00

I was so excited to receive my copy of the "Hands-On Bible" from Tyndale for review. The desciption alone had me anxious, but I was pleased to find out that it did, in fact, live up to it in real life! This is a great bible for kids of nearly any age. I believe Tyndale recommends it for children over the age of 5 (I could be wrong there), but I'm going to use if for all of my children (ages 5, 4, and 2). I love that it includes 52 activities--one for each week. This will be an excellent tool for me as I homeschool my kiddos. There is so much to do and read in this bible, it will take us many years to do it all! What a great bible for kids!

If you'd like to receive a free copy of this bible, simply follow my blog and leave a comment on this post. I'll choose a winner in a week and send your certificate for your free Hands-On Bible.

Book Review: An Army of Ordinary People

2010-06-03T21:30:00.002-05:00

I have so rarely come across a book that I don't like. I recently did, however, when I received "An Army of Ordinary People" (by Felicity Dale) from Tyndale Books. I was so excited about reading the book as it was supposed to be about people "being the church" wherever you are. What a great, although not new, idea! I really enjoy and am encouraged by stories about people simply being Christ-like in their lives, even when no one is watching.

I did not find these uplifting stories in "An Army of Ordinary People." Instead, I found a lot of information that is simply wrong. I think scripture was twisted and misused throughout the book. The book was a collection of stories about people "being the church." In addition to all of the stories starting to sound alike, they seemed to be presenting the idea that the church itself is not important. Dale often pointed out that if two or more are gathered in Jesus' name, they are in fact a church. After 4 or 5 chapters, I felt like the book was written in order to show people why they should leave the church. While Dale said the church itself is okay, it was obviously not what she thought was best.

To say the least, I was disappointed in this book. I would not recommend it. On to the next book on my list...

I think I'm going to read some C.S. Lewis--can't go wrong there!

Makenna's prayers

2010-04-29T22:06:00.003-05:00

Lately, Makenna has become quite the little prayer warrior. I am so proud of her and sweet heart. In the past few weeks, some of her prayers have been:

"Dear God, thank you for our family. Thank you for our teachers at church that tell us about Jesus. Some kids don't have a family or a church to tell them about Jesus, so we have to tell them."

"Dear God, thank you for our family and for our church that tells us about Jesus, and for Bro. Dane (our pastor), because you have to have a preacher."

"Dear God, thank you for giving us food so we don't die."

"Dear God, I hope Ayda is quiet so I can get to sleep tonight."

And then there are those run-on prayers such as, "Dear God, thank you for the day today. Thank you for the sunshine. I hope it doesn't rain tomorrow because I want to swim in the pool. I wanted to swim yesterday, but Mommy said it was too cold. She said maybe we can go tomorrow, but not in the morning, because the water has to get warm....." etc. :)

The girl just says it like it is--no holding back. What is so sweet, though, is how she sees God. She has learned, at only 5-years-old, that God is a friend who she can talk to about anything. Sometimes her prayers are her list of "hope fors," while sometimes they're just a run-down of what she did that day. It's easy for her to talk to God, though. I hope that she never loses that feeling of comfort and ease when she prays. She just has talks with God...and often makes me laugh in the process.

Family Funnies

2010-04-29T22:00:00.004-05:00

A sure sign that my kids have been watching too much t.v.--
I was unloading the dishwasher yesterday and Wyatt was standing beside me. All of a sudden, he started singing, "Who's that lady? Sexy lady" (you know, the swiffer commercial?) Of course, in cute little 4-year-old language, it was, "Who's that wady? Sessy wady." :)

That kid cracks me up!

Book Review: Facing Your Giants

2010-04-02T07:48:00.004-05:00

I recently read Facing Your Giants by Max Lucado and realized how I've missed Lucado. I used to read every Max Lucado book I could get my hands on, but had eventually quit because his books tend to all sound alike after a while. Having been a while since I've read anything by him, this book was a breath of fresh air. Oh how I've missed his ability to tell a story like few can! I was hooked from the very first chapter.

Lucado tackles the many different "giants" we face in life: disappointment, hatred, loneliness, bitterness, and grief just to name a few. He uses the life of David as a backdrop to the book. The low points in David's life are experienced by so many of us today. In fact, for each episode of David's life, Lucado uses a modern-day example of people who have experienced the same thing. The lesson to be learned is that no matter what, God can bring us through the "slumps" of our lives. As Lucado puts it, "Giants. We must face them. Yet we need not face them alone."

The chapter that spoke the most to me was about forgiveness. This theme actually ran throughout many of the chapters, but Lucado sums up the whole point of forgiveness when he writes, "Forgiveness is choosing to see your offender with different eyes." We are to see both situations and people through the eyes of God. Not an easy task!

Facing Your Giants was both an encouragement to me and a lesson on how to rely on God no matter what the circumstances. I highly recommend it!

Family Funnies

2010-02-13T20:21:00.003-06:00

Tonight we went to Family Christian Store and the kids were actually really good. Of course, when we got up to the register to pay, Wyatt knocked over a whole shelf of books, while Makenna almost knocked over a CD display. Things started getting a little chaotic and of course I saw a clearance table, so we had to go back to shop some more. Our time of shopping with Wyatt was up. He was touching everything and I was so afraid he was going to break something. He started getting whiny and got into trouble. I had Ed take Wyatt and Ayda to the van to prevent any more problems while I paid (for the second time!).
So, tonight, when I put the kids to bed, I prayed with Makenna. I prayed, "Dear God, thank you for our family. Thank you for our Grandma who stayed with us all day today. And thank you for Makenna being such a good girl tonight at the store." Makenna then prayed, "Dear God, thank you for our whole family. I didn't want to get in trouble, that's why I didn't act like Wyatt in the store tonight." She's such a funny little girl!

She sings!

2010-02-08T08:40:00.004-06:00

Yesterday in Sunday School, my kids were learning about the 12 disciples. Makenna told her teachers that she knows a song about them and she proceeded to sing it for them. They asked her if she'd sing it in front of the church that night. Anyone who knows Makenna knows that she is terribly shy and never wants the attention on her. Imagine my surprise when she actually did it! Her teacher sat up on the stage with her as she held the microphone and sang! It's a little difficult to understand some parts (she's not finished with speech therapy yet!), but it's so precious. The words are as follows:

There were twelve disciples Jesus called to help him:
Simon Peter, Andrew, James, his brother John,
Philip, Thomas, Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus,
Thaddeus, Simon, Judas, and Bartholomew.

That would be a lot for any 5-year-old to say! Anyway, here's Makenna singing "The 12 Disciples"

Our Journey Begins!

2010-02-02T14:00:00.000-06:00

The time has finally come. Tonight is the first night of the training Ed and I will go through to become foster parents and possibly adoptive parents! We will be training throughout the month of February and will hopefully have a child (or children) in our home by this spring. We're so excited about it. I wanted to share just a little bit of our story and how we got to this point. I hope that, by reading our story, other families will see the need for foster parents and will get involved.

My mom said it well last when she said, "When you are obedient to God's call, He equips you to do what He called you to do." I am still amazed at the changes in my attitude and desires lately. It was just a few months ago that God put foster parenting and/or adoption on my heart. My answer was always the same: "We don't have the money for any more kids. We like our life just the way it is." Over the following few weeks, however, I was surrounded by foster parenting. I would hear a conversation at the mall, I'd hear people on t.v. talk about being raised in foster homes, I started coming across blogs by people who foster/adopt kids, etc. It was everywhere! It almost became comical to me. I would be watching a show and someone would say in passing that they were raised in a foster home. I would look at Ed to see if he noticed it too. This was not going to go away!

I finally took that first step and talked to Ed about the possibility of doing foster care. To my surprise, he didn't object! What was going on here? Was this the same man who said a few years ago, "Do you really think we can afford 3 kids?" You can imagine my surprise when he was just open to this! Since then, though, I have been even more surprised by the change in me. After spending about 1.5 hours in an informational meeting about foster care, there was no turning back. I can honestly say that I walked out of that meeting and have not one time thought about the money factor. Not once! It's not a concern for me at all.

My concern, from that night on, has been for these children that are getting tossed around and all too often lost in the system. I realized that we, as Christians, have been missing the boat. I'm including myself in this group too. We have been too content and too self-centered. We like having our little family just the way we planned it. I know because I was there! I have always wanted 3 kids, I had my 3 kids, and that was it. I like my life! I see now that it's not just about me. So many kids need homes and families, and too many of us have wonderful christian homes to offer, but we don't want our lives inconvenienced.

I found out a startling statistic at the meeting I attended. The "cut-off" age for children waiting to be adopted in the state of Indiana is eight. Now, that doesn't mean that you can't adopt a child over the age of eight. It means that if a child isn't adopted by the time he is 8 years old, the chances of him being adopted are slim to none. Eight years old! They're still so young! They also pointed out that the state so badly wants these children adopted that they will pay money to the adoptive family every day until he/she is 18 (sometimes 20) years old! How sad that no one is there to help.

Another troubling thing I noticed is that there are so many people who ARE passionate about helping these kids. Gay and lesbian couples are fighting tooth and nail for the right to adopt these children. Why are we, as Christians, not as passionate as these people to save these children? We have so much to offer them, and yet we don't.

I'm so excited to get started in this process. So much has taken place already. Even during the one hour I spent at my informational meeting, change took place. The meeting began by the case worker asking who was there for the purpose of adopting and everyone raised their hand except for me. I was interested strictly in fostering. By the time I got home, I was talking to Ed about adoption. Fast forward a few days ahead and we were talking about the possibility of getting a 15 passenger van (instead of a minivan) because we can take more children in that way!

I just can't wait for what God has in store for our family. I just asked Ed last night if he ever thinks about what our family will look like 5, 10, or even 20 years from now. Oh the changes that could take place! It's exciting! Please pray for our family as we venture into this new area.

I saw this quote on another blog and thought it was very fitting and worth sharing:

"Children will come in and out of our home, but they will never leave our hearts. My first prayer is that we can be a part of saving families. That is what the children need most. If a family cannot be saved, I pray that we can become a new family. Some will stay and some will go. The right ones always stay."

In Just 4 Days

2010-02-01T08:40:00.006-06:00

Wow, what a weekend we've had here. It all started Friday night when we finally got the girls' bunk beds together. They were so excited! We had Grandma and Papaw come over to check out the new room, we stayed up late, the whole nine. They had been waiting for these beds for months and now they had them. Here's the pic:

Then, when it was time for Ed and I to go to bed (around 11:30), I just couldn't do it. I couldn't leave my 1 year old in the room with a ladder leading to a bed 6 feet off the ground. I kept imagining her climbing up in the middle of the night and falling. It scared me so much that by midnight, I had taken the mattress off the toddler bed and moved it into our room. Ayda slept on a mattress on our floor for the rest of the night.

The next morning, the first thing we did was make the bunk beds two twin beds (both on the floor). It made for tight quarters, but I was still excited about how cute everything was. Here's what the room looked like 12 hours into this journey:

Now, fast forward 48 hours to this morning. I heard the kids playing nicely in the girls' room and was enjoying some quiet time. I heard a loud BANG and said, "Is everyone ok?" No answer. This time, I went in there while I asked, "Is everyone ok?" I found the 3 kids standing in shock, not sure what to do and I found this:

Yep, that would be our brand new bed---broken! Makenna has only admitted to standing on the bed, so I'm not sure exactly how this happened. To look at the positive side of this, though, I'm glad we had separated the beds. The bed that broke was the one that was on the top! Maybe it was more than just my fear of Ayda climbing that made me unable to go to sleep with bunk beds in the room. Maybe it was God giving me an uneasy feeling about them for this very reason. I'm glad I listened!

Now, off to do some bed shopping....

Project 365

2010-01-29T08:03:00.002-06:00

I saw about this project on another blog, and it sounded like a great idea. Project 365 is a great way to document a year in your life. You take one picture each day for an entire year. You can write a little or a lot about each picture. By the end of the, you will have a scrapbook that shows what was going on every day of that year. How neat! I got started a couple of weeks into January, so I'll be missing a few days at the beginning, but so far I've been keeping up with it! I'm excited to see the final project. I'm certainly not a crafty person, but I will learn as I go.

What I have noticed so far is that this project makes me stop and enjoy the everyday things more. I usually only broke out the ol' camera for things like birthday parties, holidays, trips, etc. Now I keep my camera with me at all times. It has made me document what I always knew--that memories are in the day to day life. I've had moments previously in which I was watching the kids eating breakfast and would take a picture because I didn't want to forget the picture in front of me. This has just made me do that more often. There are so many memories being made here every day. Now I'll have them all together in a book!

When Momma's on Facebook....

2010-01-25T10:21:00.003-06:00

...Ayda finds a way to entertain herself. I saw her go into the bathroom and thought she was getting a kleenex since she was saying, "nose!" About 2-3 minutes later, I wondered why she hadn't come back out. I went to check on her and found my little angel doing this:

Yep, that's lotion all over my mirror. She was having a great time, though! I let her "fingerpaint" on my mirror for a few minutes, but not to worry--I gave her the obligatory, "Let's don't do that again" line. :)

Book Review: The Language of Love and Respect

2010-01-23T20:33:00.002-06:00

I started my 2010 “30 Book” Challenge by reading The Language of Love and Respect by Emerson Eggerichs. Anyone who knows me well knows that I don't like to harm the books I read in any way. I don't open them fully, I remove jackets so they don't get bent, I don't write in them, etc. The exception to that rule is if I am reading a book that I know I will need to keep on my shelf to revisit over and over. This was one of those books. I got about 20 pages into it and realized I was going to have to grab a pen and start over, making notes along the way.
As the subtitle of the book ("Cracking the Communication Code with Your Mate") suggests, the whole book is about communication. Eggerichs points out that men and women are, by their very nature, as different as pink and blue. Women see through pink glasses and hear through pink hearing aids while men see and hear in blue. Therein lies the problem. He goes on, however, to show how couples can work around those differences, since trying to change them will only leave couples frustrated and in what he calls "The Crazy Cycle."
Behind all of the advice on how to deal with day to day conversations, how to make your spouse feel loved/respected, and how to better understand how your spouse feels, Eggerichs' main point is that the solution lies in your relationship with God.
For a marriage to thrive, a wife should respect her husband as herself, and a husband should love his wife as Christ loved the church. (Ephesians 5:33) The key is that this love and respect must be unconditional. As Eggerichs writes, "Yes, the two of you are very different, and I am telling you to love and respect unconditionally anyway." He later points out that this unconditional love and respect can only be offered to a spouse "by being faithful--to God, to His Word, and to your spouse."
I highly recommend this book or any other books/DVD's by Eggerichs. He has a great insight into men and women and into marriage itself. You can check out the products he has available here. Has anyone else read any of his books or been to one of his seminars?

Great Homeschooling Quote

2010-01-18T09:03:00.002-06:00

I saw this quote on another blog and thought it was worth sharing:

"In not mentioning God, my public school teachers preached a thundering sermon every day. By implication, they taught that God is not relevant to most areas of life...with every lesson, in every class period, all day every day for twelve years, I was being taught to think like an atheist in the academic realm. And I didn't even know that I was being indoctrinated."

My Sweet Boy

2010-01-17T15:11:00.008-06:00

Wyatt has always been both a challenge to me and a joy in my life. He has so much energy and can't seem to sit still for long at all. He's been on the go since he started walking at 10 months old! He has always been able to find a way to get into trouble; we have often said that trouble just seems to find him. He can't resist it. It's been a constant struggle for us.

Recently, however, he is starting to mature and outgrow some of that. He just turned 4 and we are finally seeing more about who he really is. He's showing his personality and his heart more and more with each passing month. One thing that we have noticed about him is that he is very sweet and tenderhearted. He will always get up to turn a light on for Makenna or stop eating dinner to walk all the way around the table to get Ayda's fork if she drops it. He takes a lot from Ayda, who has recently started biting (usually only him), and he never retaliates. Of course, it doesn't help us deal with Ayda when he ALWAYS gives into her, but it shows what a sweet heart he has.

The greatest trait that we have noticed in him recently, however, is his love for God. Even through all the squirming in chairs through Sunday School, he has been listening. He knows his bible better than most kids twice his age. There are many times he says something to me and adds to the end of the statement, "because that's what the bible says." Now, keeping in mind that he's 4, he sometimes uses that phrase with things that have nearly nothing to do with the bible. He'll say things like, "We need to wear a seat belt because the bible says so," or "Always wear an undershirt because that's what it says in the bible." We will never correct him, though, since he's obviously learned the important lesson--that we live by the standards of the bible.

Wyatt also always wants to pray. In fact, it can cause quite the argument between him and Makenna over who gets to pray at that meal. Lately, he has combined his "prayer life" and his nurturing of Ayda. He is like a protective mother to her at bedtime. He says very quietly and sweetly, "Come on, Ayda. Get your baby and get into bed. I'll cover you up." Here he is just a couple of nights ago putting her to bed. Keep in mind that the room was completely dark, I just had my camera on night time mode so we could see.

Then, after her gets her tucked in, he gets on his knees, puts his head on her bed, and prays for her:

I think that is the most priceless picture. It is one of my very favorites.

Wyatt is just a loving little boy. He has such a tender heart and a love for God. I pray that he stays faithful to God, and I can't wait to see what God has planned for his life!

2010 "30 Book" Challenge

2010-01-15T21:58:00.005-06:00

I saw this on my brother's blog (Dr. Ron's Blog) and thought it was a great idea, so I'm borrowing it. :) It's called the "2010 '30 Book' Challenge." He encouraged everyone to read 30 books this year. I love to read, but all too often I don't take the time to do it. I seem to go in spurts. I'll read two books in record time, then won't read for a couple of months. I want to commit to spending more time reading and less time watching t.v. I plan on updating this post as the year goes on, and hopefully I will reach 30 books by the end of the year!

My list:
1. The Language of Love & Respect by Emerson Eggerichs
2. The Power of a Positive Mom by Karol Ladd
3. Facing the Giants
4. Adopted for Life (currently reading)

Anyone else up to the challenge?

Snow Day!

2010-01-07T11:05:00.009-06:00

Seven days into the new year and we're having our first snow day. I wish I could say I was excited and able to sit back and enjoy the beautiful scenery, but it's snow. It's cold, wet, and a mess! Since 7:30 this morning, the kids have had one thing on their mind--playing outside. I put it off as long as I could, but had to give in.

I don't think they even noticed the cold! It was just under 20 degrees and they were running around like it was summer time! Ah to be young again!

After a whopping 15 minutes in the snow, the kids are having some hot chocolate and marshmallows and I'm left with the memories, a few pictures, and this:

The good part is that they got it out of their system. They'll be content to stay inside the rest of the day. Snow is much more beautiful from inside a warm house with a hot cup of coffee. Off to start a fire in the fireplace....

I'm Hilarious!

2009-12-17T20:36:00.003-06:00

Today I had my first experience with Nitrous Oxide (aka "laughing gas"). Wow, what a trip! I was at my dentist's office today to get a tooth pulled and they couldn't get it out. They tried for over 1.5 hours before bringing in another dentist to try to "muscle" it out. By this time, I was a wreck and was shaking. It was a bad combination of the drilling sound, the blood, the pain, etc. Need I go on?
Anyway, the second dentist came right in and put the laughing gas on me. It was at that moment that I found out why they call it laughing gas. First, it made me feel "funny" all over. My body just felt strange. That wasn't the worst part of it, though. All of a sudden, I didn't just feel funny, I thought I WAS really funny. The Dr. was explaining to me that I could regulate the amount of gas I got by choosing how much I breathed through my nose. He explained, "If you want more gas, just breath through your nose more. If you want less,..." (this is where my inner comedian came out). I blurted out, "Then just stop breathing?" Hilarious, right? Right? Oh wow, not so much, huh?
Something else I didn't know what that even though you feel funny, you are still aware of your surroundings enough that you know how silly you are. I couldn't believe that I had said something so goofy. It got worse, though...I actually laughed out loud at my own joke! Yep, laughing out loud with a big vacuum-looking hose across my face, at a joke that wasn't funny to begin with! It was like having what people describe as an "out-of-body experience." It was like I was witnessing myself make a fool of myself, yet half of me was still really giggling over that hilarious joke! Ugh, how embarrassing!
Let me just say now that I will not be using nitrous oxide again. At least I gave everyone in the office a story to tell over their dinner tables tonight. Plus, for being such a great patient, I got to get a prize out of the treasure chest! I know that sounds like another one of my hilarious jokes, but it's actually true. I walked out of the office 2 hours later with 2 stitches in my mouth, gauze on my tooth, an ice pack on my cheek, and.......a new silicone pot holder! What a day!

Family Funnies

2009-12-04T08:29:00.004-06:00

My kids have been in dress-up clothes most of the morning. Wyatt disappeared into our family room for a few mintues. He just came back into our living room with his underwear on backwards and a cowboy hat (and that's all). He held his hand out to Makenna and said, "Come on, let's get married." How could she resist that?

Book Review: The Well-Behaved Child

2009-11-12T14:03:00.004-06:00

I recently read a really good book on discipline and thought I would share. It was "The Well-Behaved Child" by John Rosemond. I liked finding a book that was not only practical, but also a throw-back to the discipline used in the olden days. The one thing that I think I liked the most about this book is that the author doesn't claim that once you read this book your child will never misbehave again. In fact, early in the book, he writes, "No matter how good a parent you are, your child is still capable, on any given day, of doing something despicable, disgusting, and depraved." He goes on later to write, "The hope is that your child will be persuaded never to behave in said fashion again--that he will learn the lesson." Finally, a book about disciplining children that doesn't claim to be the end of all problems! I really liked the practical advice found in this book. Also, Rosemond's humor and sarcasm made the book a pleasure to read.

Anyone else have any discipline books they really like?

Name changes

2009-10-30T14:08:00.003-05:00

Okay, so when I first started this blog, I thought I should hide our kids' real names for security purposes. Most of the blogs I have looked at, however, have not done that. I'm thinking it's probably not an issue. So, having said that, I will be using our real names instead of our made-up ones. Ready? Meet my kids....Makenna, Wyatt, and Ayda! Yea!

Family Funnies

2009-10-27T08:27:00.009-05:00

The kids painted today. I can't say that I enjoy letting them paint because of the big mess, but I was up to the challenge this morning. When they finished, they wanted me to see their pictures. Here's Wyatt's:

He said he "painted a picture of everything God made."

Here is Makenna's picture:

She said, "I painted a picture of a rainbow and Jesus. Jesus is the purple one." :)

Ahhh, kids. At least their thoughts are set on Jesus!

Our St. Louis Trip

2009-10-27T07:33:00.009-05:00

We recently took a mini-vacation to St. Louis, MO. In light of the previous post about being cheap, I thought I would share how we did this on a budget. My mom and grandma were going to visit family in Dallas, TX. Their flight was out of St. Louis, so they needed a ride there. So, the gas was paid by them. When we got there, we were planning on going to the zoo. We had packed peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and capri sun drinks and ate a quick (cheap) lunch in the van just outside the zoo.

We knew ahead of time that parking was going to be $11 and were prepared to pay it. We found out, though, that if you are willing to walk a couple of blocks, you can park for free. Want to try to guess what we did? :) Here we are a couple of blocks from the zoo....ready to go!

We found a cheap hotel that was still nice enough that I felt comfortable staying in it for that night. I made sure the hotel had an indoor pool so we could swim for--you guessed it--free! A few weeks ago, my husband and I had become fans of TGIFridays on Facebook, and in return we each received a free hamburger/fries. So, that night, we went there to eat and only had to buy food for the kids. We all 5 ate for under $15. Doesn't get much better than that!

The next day, we went shopping at the St. Louis Mills mall. It was huge. Granted, the kids don't like to shop a whole lot, but they loved looking in the toy shops. They even got to sit at Old Navy and color Halloween pictures while Mommy shopped. We found a great play area in the center of the mall, too, and the kids had a lot of fun playing there.

After that, we went to the St. Louis Science Center. It is free to get in there too, but parking is $8. Leave it to us, though, to find a way to avoid that cost. We found on the street parking just about 2 blocks away and parked for free. While the kids weren't old enough to understand all that they were doing, they had fun playing! Here are all 3 of them trying to figure out a game:

And here is Wyatt just moments before he pushed "Start" and had his arm squeezed. He then proceeded to panic thinking he was going to have to leave his arm behind in the machine!

And, finally, the only thing we didn't have time to do was to visit the arch. Not to worry, though. They made their own arch with some help from Mom and Dad!

It was such a weekend of fun and "freeness" (I just made up that word). We really had a great time, though, and look forward to going back to St. Louis. There is a lot to do for free there! It makes for a great weekend getaway.

Living on One Income in a Two Income Society....pt. 2

2009-10-19T09:09:00.003-05:00

Okay, so how do we do it? After all, the price of living has only gone up since the 1950's when most women did, in fact, stay home. I'll admit, again, that I do not have all of the answers. I have, however, complied a list of things I have learned along the way that may help you learn how to live on one income!

Here's how we do it:

1. The number one rule that we do not break is that we will never rob from God. (see Malachi 3:8) He is the giver of all we have and we happily give back to Him a minimum of 10% of it.

2. East at home with the food you prepare. We do not eat out...well, rarely. I do mean rarely too! We maybe eat out 3-4 times a year at the most. It is so much cheaper to buy groceries and prepare a meal at home (not to mention the health benefits). In addition to buying food from the grocery store, try to stretch the food you buy so that it lasts as long as possible. My grandma (from whom I inherited my cheapness) always added pasta to things like chili and soup so she'd be sure to have enough to feed 5 kids. I'm still learning other tricks like that to make our meals feed more. One thing I have always done is water my kids' drinks down 50 percent. I didn't start this to save money actually. I started when they were about 1 year old or so giving them about 10 percent juice to 90 percent water. I eased it up over the months until it was 50/50 and just never stopped. I do it with Kool-Aid too. They don't need all of that sugar anyway. I realize that I won't always be able to do this, but I have a friend who was still doing it with an 8 year old, so there's hope that I'll be able to keep it up for a while!

3. Plan ahead. I try to plan out what we're going to have for dinner all week. I like to write it down, but that doesn't always happen. I at least try to have it in my mind, though, when I make out my grocery list. Then, I take my list to the grocery store and stick to it! The only exception is when I spot a really great in-store deal. I can't pass up a good deal. Which leads us to...

4. Be a bargain hunter! Each week, I scour grocery adds from 2-4 different grocery stores and make lists of what I want from each store. When I find items really cheap, I stock up on them. At any given time, we have about 20 lbs. of meat in our freezer. I buy it on sale, divide it up, and freeze it. My theory is that if something you use is cheap, go ahead and buy as much of it as you can store. My most recent "stock up" item was salad dressing. A local store had name brand dressing for $1 per jar. I bought 15 of them. It's fun, also, to see the looks you get from the check out people. :)

5. Use the same theory when it comes to clothes. I am a rummage sale addict! There is just nothing like getting a $10 pair of jeans for 50 cents! If I find a rummage sale with really cheap prices, I buy any clothes my kids can wear or will wear in the next few years. Even if a few of the items don't fit in the right season (it occasionally happens), I can resell the item for the same price (if not more) in my next rummage sale. Just a few months ago, I found a rummage sale with a table full of boy's jeans and shirts for 25 - 50 cents each. They were name brand too! I nearly cleared the entire table off! I put them all in a big tub in Wyatt's closet and I get them out as he grows into them. I have enough clothes for him for the next 2 years and I didn't even spend $10! Okay, you can tell this stuff really excites me.

6. Avoid debt whenever you can. We do our very best to avoid debt, but I will admit that this is one area in which we are still trying to improve. We aren't credit card free, but we're not far from it. We feel like we're doing ok as long as we keep our balance under $1,000, and then we use our tax refund to pay off the balance each year.

7. Probably the biggest secret to our money management is that we always buy used. From cars to clothes to furniture to gifts (yes, gifts). If you are willing to put in a little time, you can find quality items at a fraction of the price you would pay new. Plus, when you buy used, you can usually get a higher quality item. If you have $300 to spend, you could go buy a cheap new couch. If you buy used, though, that same $300 would buy you a high quality used name brand sofa. It's the same with clothes. I can go buy a brand new pair of jeans from Target for $10. They're fine, but they tend to wear out sooner than jeans from Children's Place jeans (which I buy used for $1). Our family is so committed to saving money that a few years ago we started what we call "Second Hand Christmas." We made it a rule that when you buy a gift for someone, it either has to be used or off of a clearance rack. The kids love it because they get more presents, and the parents love it because we are all spending half as much!

8. Another rule that I think most people don't live by is this: You have to get past what I call the "just one dollar" mentality. It's never "just one dollar" around here. A dollar can buy so much! While it's true that a soft drink might be just one dollar, we always realize that instead of a drink, I can use that one dollar to buy a shirt, pair of jeans, and even shoes for one of my kids. Trust me, I've done it!

9. Finally, try to find things for free....yes, free!
a) If aren't already a member, I encourage you to become a member of your local Freecycle group. Freecycle is an online local group in which you can give away things you don't need anymore and get things from other people in the group. It's wonderful. It's not just trash that people want to get rid of, either. Our best Freecycle find to date was our trampoline (with the safety net). Our kids love it, and we likely would have never put out the money for a brand new one. We have also gotten things such as a package of diapers, shoes, and many trash bags full of clothes for the kids.

b) Get acquainted with your local library. We go there at least once a week for movies. They have all of the latest DVDs if you are willing to wait until you can find them on the shelf. We watch movies a lot, so this saves us a lot of money each year. Also, familiarize yourself with the library's website. I found out about a year ago that I could request a book or cd and the library would purchase it and put it on hold for me when it came in. How easy is that?

c) Find free places to go for entertainment. Our kids look forward to the first Thursday of each month because it's the free night at our local children's museum. Being so young, my kids think it's only open once a month. :) They love it, though, and we don't have to pay $100 to be a member!

So, those are my secrets of the trade, if you will. I realize this post has been a little lengthy, but I wanted to pass along every tip I could think of that I've learned along the way. I'm still learning too, so there may be more to come soon! These tips help our family live on one income, and it allows us to teach our kid the value of a dollar. Our children will probably never dream of going out to spend $50 on a pair of shoes. Wyatt proved to me just last night just how much he's learning from watching us. I was putting his pj's on him before bed and he noticed they were "new" (new to him). He said, "I like these, Mommy. Which rummage sale did you get these from?" We had to laugh. He made his momma proud!

Hope this helps you save a dollar here and there. Afterall, there's so much you can do with a dollar! Please share any of your money-saving tips here as well!

Straight to Heaven

2009-10-15T21:16:00.005-05:00

I just found out from a fellow blogger that October 15 is "Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day." Michelle over at "She Looketh Well" encouraged women to share their stories of loss in hopes that they will encourage other women who may be going through such a difficult time right now. So, I thought I would share the story of my first child.

Big Daddy and I were married in October 2003. We were so excited to start our journey together and anxious to start out family. As we were entering into our first Christmas together, I found out I was expecting. We were thrilled! We decided we would keep it secret for at least a few weeks. It was fun to have a secret just between the two of us!

On December 26th, we were planning to make a 7 hour road trip to visit Big Daddy's family. That morning, I started having what I would later find out were contractions. At the time, however, I knew absolutely nothing about pregnancy and even less about miscarriage. Maybe it was actually best that I didn't know that in the two hours before we were to leave for our trip, I was losing our baby. The pain I was experiencing eventually went away and we left town. While we were aware that what I was going through would have to be discussed with our doctor, we were completely unaware of how serious the problem was. We could think of little more than how our lives were going to change over the next year. We had many moments throughout our trip in which we talked about how different our next Christmas would be. We were just so excited!

When we came home a few days later and called my Dr, she wanted to see me immediately. The Dr. came into the room, walked right over to shake my hand, and didn't let go. She looked at me and said, "I'm sorry, but you've had a miscarriage." My heart just broke. I didn't know what to say, what to do, or who to talk to. What I think made it worse is that in that moment, I felt so alone. Who could possibly understand what it's like to lose a baby?

After crying over our loss with my husband, I called my mom. We cried too over the loss. The only advice she could give me was to call the only two women I knew at the time who had lost a baby. That's why I wanted to share my story too. It was encouraging to me to know that someone actually understood just what I felt. I wasn't alone.

I will pass along the most encouraging words I heard then in hopes that they will help any other woman who has had a miscarriage. My sister-in-law told me, "If we truly believe that life begins at conception (Jeremiah 1:5), then we know that it was a baby and he/she will be waiting for you in heaven." While I have 3 children here on Earth, I will have 4 when I get to Heaven! One of my babies just went straight into the arms of Jesus! Praise the Lord that day wasn't the end...I will one day hold that baby!

Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

Why I love nap time

2009-10-09T14:19:00.001-05:00

I love nap time at my house for so many reasons. I can choose to get a lot done around the house with no little "helpers," or I can choose to just sit and have some "me" time. Either way, it's a nice break in my day. I have to say, though, that one of the best perks of nap time is seeing sights like this:

Somehow, just the sight of something so precious makes me forget the hours I spent listening to her whine. I forget the number of times I picked her up, put her back down, picked her back up, etc. I suddenly am less aware of my shoulder that she has used as a kleenex all day. It's just difficult not to realize how blessed I am when I see a sight like that.

Living on One Income in a Two Income Society

2009-10-07T13:45:00.001-05:00

Okay, I have heard this so many times. If you stay at home with your kids, you are probably as frustrated as I am with it:

"You can't live on just one income these days."

Well, let me tell you that I beg to differ! I assure you that you can not only survive, but thrive on one income! For those who may not know us, Big Daddy and I have a reputation for being cheapskates. I don't mind it at all, though. In fact, I consider it a compliment. It has become more apparent to me lately that knowing how to live this lifestyle doesn't come naturally to everyone. Also, it actually requires some work on our part. So, call us cheapskates. We'll likely thank you for acknowledging our skill and work ethic. :)

I get excited about saving money. I know, I know...there are bigger and better things to get excited about, but it just excites me. I am always looking for a new corner to cut or a new way to save money. Reading books on this subject, however, have been little help because we are usually already doing most of the things the author suggests. Usually the first step is to stop eating out or stop paying to go to the gym. We couldn't do those things anyway. Now, does that mean that I have all the answers? Absolutely not! It just means I have more to discover--new ways to save!

I'll be an open book here just to give some perspective. I don't share this to glorify myself, but to glorify God and show what He will do if we only obey. I've often noticed that many people who claim to be "poor" end up making 40 - 50K annually. Let me just state for the record that we do NOT make that much....although it would sure be nice! I'm sure that by most people's standards, we are making enough to just get by. Instead of just "getting by," though, we have managed our money and saved. Because of that, we now have a $100,000 house, 2 vehicles we own, and all the fun extras like cable, DVR, internet, and cell phones. So, remind me again what we're missing out on that would require us to have a 2nd income?

Now I'm sure I have you wondering just how we do it. I'll tell you!

Stay tuned for part 2.....

My Father's World

2009-09-18T19:20:00.000-05:00

This is our first official year homeschooling. I did preschool with Miss Priss last year, but nothing consistent or really organized. This year, though, we are using (and LOVING) My Father's World . We started Miss Priss a year early according to the public school's standards, but so far she has been keeping up wonderfully! We are having fun doing it and she actually looks forward to "school time" each day. Each lesson in MFW is about God and His creation; that is the main reason I chose it. I couldn't be more impressed with the biblical concepts my kids are learning. George is even learning just by overhearing lessons here and there. Since each week focuses on a different letter and bible lesson, there are many opportunities during the week for the children to ask questions about what they're learning. By the end of the week, they have such a wealth of knowledge about the subject that was taught! We started with a 2-week study of creation and made a creation timeline. A couple of weeks later, we reviewed creation (while studying the moon) and made a mobile of the things created on day 4. Here's how ours turned out:

This past week, we have been studying the letter L and leaves. The kids ended their week by painting leaves. Because of the mess that goes along with painting, we don't do it very often. On this particular day, however, we just moved our school time until right before baths. It worked out perfectly and the change in routine was so exciting for the kids. The pictures actually turned out really cute!

Now being as committed as we are to education, we wanted to be sure that everyone learned something from the moment. So, what can a 16 month old learn while we all paint leaves? Maybe what leaves feel like? Maybe how to use a paint brush? Maybe discover paint with water? In the end, she learned all of that plus the fact that when you dip a paint brush in water and then rub it on the colorful page, it makes the paintbrush taste really good! Plus, you can drink the "rainbow" water!
Needless to say, Little Bit's class dismissed early. :)

I'm sure I'll have much more to share as our school year continues!

Family Funnies

2009-09-15T14:58:00.001-05:00

Today's family funny comes, once again, from Wyatt. I took the kids to the apple orchard today with my mom and niece. The kids were all having a great time, but Wyatt was most excited about climbing the tree to get apples. At one point, he pulled off a small branch with a couple apples and some leaves on it. He yelled out, "Here Grandma! Take this! I pulled off the whole tree!"

He's so cute!

I love those quiet moments...

2009-09-03T19:09:00.001-05:00

You know, the ones that find everyone getting along? I had one just this morning. All 3 of the kids were playing within a 1 ft. square area of each other. No one was pushing, shoving, whining, complaining, etc. Since it is rare that they all are quiet for any length of time, I thought I better see just what they were doing. I saw that they had all of their "hair things" (clips, bows, barrettes, etc.) out and were fixing each other's hair. Now, I'm not the type person who can handle these big messes usually, but today I let it go. I must have found some sort of balance between the amount of sleep I had gotten the night before and the amount of coffee I had already consumed this morning. Strange, I know, but I allowed it.

Anyway, I would check on them from time to time, but being the smart mother I am, I used this time to tidy up the rest of the house. It was great! I had no one pulling on my leg while I cleaned the kitchen counters, unloaded/loaded the dishwasher, and got a load of laundry going. Things like this just don't happen very often around here. I thought, "what a great day this is going to be!"

I went to check on my little angels again, but this time, I found this:

All 3 of them had decided to get out every gel, mousse, hair serum, and lotion they could find and proceded to apply it to their (previously clean) hair. I realize that in the pictures their hair just looks wet. Soooo not the case. That's all gel and lotion. Lovely.

Again, the coffee must have been strong this morning, because I didn't even react to it (yea, me...that's progress!). I took a couple pictures and asked them to not do that again. Later, as I was telling Big Daddy about it, I noticed that Makenna was listening and glowing with pride over what they had done. I reminded her that we shouldn't do that again, to which she said, "Yeah, but it was still fun." I guess we're making memories here.

It's Not Easy Being Third

2009-09-01T19:25:00.002-05:00

If I haven't said it already, Ayda is quite the princess. She sits on her throne, points and grunts, and someone, somewhere jumps up to see what they can do for her. What can I say? She's adorable! Lucky for her, everyone in the house agrees. Seriously, look at this smile...could you really resist?

Either because of this or simply because of her place in the line of kids (last), the girl just refuses to talk. Now, before you start thinking there is something wrong....she CAN talk. I have heard her say a variety of words, but on rare occasions. She is just a grunter and evidently it's working well for her. It's so funny to watch her try to get her message across.

Her latest form of communication is her own form of sign language. She will tap my leg and walk across the room to tap the refrigerator. She'll repeat this 3-4 times until I get up to get her what she wants. She is willing to wear herself out going back and forth instead of just uttering a word. That would just be too easy! She's got this game down pat. We're all at her beck and call. Smart girl if you ask me. :)

Family Funnies

2009-09-01T19:17:00.001-05:00

This is a section in which I will post funny things heard come out of my kiddos' mouths. Here's the first installment.

(in the bathroom giving everyone baths tonight)
Wyatt: "Ow! Ayda pinched my pee pee!"
(Mommy notices Wyatt is standing and thus has it right at her eye level and laughs.)
Wyatt: "It's not funny! It hurts my pee pee!"

Then, he realized it got a laugh and was so proud, he started shaking it in faces.
Fun time was over.

Coming Soon...

2009-09-01T10:18:00.000-05:00

Living on One Income in a Two Income Society

With the Faith of a Child

2009-09-01T10:00:00.001-05:00

So many adults seem to have missed the boat somewhere along the way. They think christianity is so difficult to understand.
This summer, my children attended Vacation Bible School at our church. Vacation Bible School is such a great week. The songs are fun, and the kids get to learn movements to go along with them. It's just an exciting week. I was surprised, though, that the one song my kids couldn't get enough of was the slow song Believe. They couldn't get enough of it. In the song, the plan of salvation is laid out very clearly. Admit to God you are a sinner, Believe that Jesus is the Son of God, and Confess your faith in Jesus as your Savior and your Lord. My son Wyatt just really took a liking to that song.
It made me think about how simple salvation really is. Since VBS, any time Wyatt sees a cross, he says, "That's a cross. Jesus died on the cross and rose again so that we can go to heaven." He understands that at 3 years old. It's just that simple!

I'm Not That Kind of Girl

2009-05-12T15:17:00.001-05:00

I know you formed an opinion of me as soon as I uttered these 2 little words: "We homeschool." I know what kind of woman you are picturing because it's the same woman I would have pictured just 2 years ago if I heard the word "homeschool." Correct me if I'm wrong here. You're picturing a woman with hair all the way down her back, no make-up on, very soft spoken, in a dress she made herself. Her children are in a line behind her not moving, speaking, or thinking any bad thoughts. They are all in homemade clothes as well and are munching on their homegrown veggies for lunch. Her family watches no t.v. except for the occassional family viewing of "The Sound of Music." Am I right?

Don't get me wrong--there is nothing, let me repeat, NOTHING wrong with women who do that. Let me just say it again, though--I'm NOT that kind of girl! I'm just an average, run of the mill gal who loves her kids and wants to provide the best life I can for them. In fact, I may homeschool, but I've compiled a list of things that seem to be common amongst many homeschoolers that I just don't see myself doing....ever:

1. I can not and do not want to sew or make clothes. I prefer rummage sales!

2. I do not can food, nor do I have the desire to learn how.

3. I could not make it a week without the t.v. and cable (the DVR is a huge plus)

Having said that, however, I have also realized that there are a few things we do that may let the mouse out of the bag that we are homeschoolers:

1. My kids are rarely found with shoes on (unless we're going to church or the grocery).

2. We have started gardening.

3. I recently made the switch to cloth diapers for my youngest.

So, maybe you could have picked me out and labeled me early on as one of those crazy homeschool moms, but I doubt it. I'm just an average woman trying to obey the command in Deutoronomy 6: 7 "You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up."

I believe God has called me to homeschool my children and I am being obedient. It's that simple. At just the mention of the word "homeschooling," most people immediately become experts and advocates of public school. It's as if they are truly concerned for my children and their "socialization." Those who know me well, however, know that I would never do anything except that which I think is best for my children. So, having said that, don't expect me to try to win a debate with you on homeschooling vs. public school. Believe me, I could go on and on, but I won't. I am simply doing that which God has called me to do. Period.

Meet the Crew

2009-05-12T13:11:00.000-05:00

Welcome to my blog! I thought it would only be right to start with an introduction to our family. For security reasons, I will be using nicknames for my husband and kids. Having said that, here we are:

Mom (that's me): I am a 30-ish year old woman. I have been married for nearly 6 years to my wonderful husband (you'll hear about him later). I have held many positions in my life including nanny, telemarketer, daycare director, and high school English teacher, but none of them have been as rewarding and fulfilling as my current position as the keeper of my home.

Big Daddy: Most people think that "good ol' boys" are a thing of the past. Big Daddy would prove them wrong. He's just one of those guys that when you meet him, you know he will be a great husband/father. That's why we met, dated, got engaged, and got married all within 10 months. When you know, you just know! He is a strong, protective provider for our family and still makes my heart flutter when he comes in a room.

Miss Priss: My oldest daughter, Miss Priss, is 4 1/2 years old and is the daughter I never expected to have. She is everything I'm not. She loves dresses, make-up, having her hair done, getting her nails painted, and anything else "girly." That's how she got her name; she's a girl through and through! She's the mother hen of this house--keeping me organized and making sure everyone follows the rules.

George: Ah George...you just have to love him. He's named after his prototype Curious George because as they always said about George, "He was a good little monkey and always very curious." I couldn't have said it better myself! George is 3 1/2 years old and from the time he could move, he has somehow always known how to find trouble. He's so charming, though, that he gets by with a lot (Of course, it doesn't hurt that he's the only boy either!).

Little Bit: And then there's the baby...Little Bit. She has picked up this nickname because somehow in a family of all tall people, she is just littler. She's still tall for her age, but just shorter than the average family member in this house. Little Bit is a ray of sunshine in all of our lives. She always smiles and never seems to meet a stranger.

So, that's us! We are a family of FIVE striving to be more like the ONE who gave His life for us.